Aneela Idnani

Mental Health Founder and Advocate

Aneela Idnani is a service-oriented entrepreneur committed to leading with love and transforming personal pain into purpose. She is the child of Indian immigrants, a parent, a breast cancer survivor, and has navigated the depths of anxiety, depression, and trichotillomania. Through her journey, she has seen that when we lead with love, whether in business or everyday interactions, we find peace, healing, and purpose.

As the Co-Founder of HabitAware, a mental health tech company, Aneela co-invented the award-winning Keen2 smart bracelet to help people manage body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) like hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (dermatillomania), and nail biting. HabitAware is a TIME Magazine Best Invention and a Fast Company “World Changing Idea.” Aneela has built a global movement of awareness and support for the BFRB community, serving over 100,000 people in 80+ countries.

Aneela’s efforts center lived experience and promote healing through education, advocacy, and professional training. As an outspoken mental health advocate, her powerful TEDx talk, “Overcoming Trichotillomania: The Power of Awareness,” has reached over 250,000 viewers. Her insights have been featured in major media outlets, and she is a sought-after keynote speaker.

Aneela strives to lift others, whether by educating young entrepreneurship students, mentoring entrepreneurs, peer coaching her BFRB community, speaking on mental health, or challenging societal stigma through her writing. She has served on startup advisory boards, lectured at universities, and been recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, among other honors. Her memoir, to be published by New Harbinger in 2026, will further share her story of resilience and growth.

Through it all, Aneela remains guided by her philosophy of living with “Love, Strength and Awareness,” knowing that true impact comes when we build bridges, create community, and choose love over fear.